Many people *pretend* to be marketers. These people have minimal, if any, marketing training and zero or only a few years of experience. Using “pretend marketers” can significantly hurt a company and create a spaghetti of bad work to untangle later. These people can also cause missed opportunities, inefficiencies and more. [ Read More ]
communications
Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of By the Sea Communications
This spring I celebrate the 20th anniversary of By the Sea Communications, LLC. Does that make me proud? Absolutely. [ Read More ]
10 Tips on How to be a Great Client
Do you know how to be a great client? I have had the honor of working with many amazing companies and people over the more than 30 years of my marketing communications career. Below are 10 tips on how to be a great client for an external marketing partner. (If you are reading this, cheers to you for your willingness to learn!) [ Read More ]
Old Work Stuff Can Be Quite Nostalgic
Old work stuff can be quite nostalgic. On a recent staycation, I went through a bunch of boxes of work stuff hidden in the basement. Here is some of what I found: Stacks and stacks of old-school media coverage books for products I led the PR on. There were thick ones for Microsoft Word, Microsoft Money, RealNetworks, Avenue A (which became aQuantive), InfoSpace and more. [ Read More ]
25 Memorable Moments in My Career
There are so many amusing and memorable moments in my career. It makes me smile to think of them. This is not a stuffy blog expounding on my “wins” although there are some in here. It’s an informal look back at some of the fun things I encountered throughout the years as well as some of the people who made a good impression on me. [ Read More ]
Maximize the ROI of Media Coverage
As you think about the allocation of your marketing budget, consider the immense ROI (return-on-investment) of a piece earned media coverage. I have been helping companies, including major global corporations, businesses headquartered abroad and countless U.S.-based companies of all sizes, earn great media coverage for more than 30 years. The ROI is tough to beat. [ Read More ]
What Mahomes Said to Brady
Tough loss for Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl yesterday. It must have felt wretched especially since most people were expecting him and his team to win. As a spectator, from the safety of my home, I felt sympathy for him and also knew he has plenty of time to accomplish many more great things in his beloved football career. [ Read More ]
New Company, OurPlanet365, Builds Environmental Sustainability Platforms
We recently announced a new company, OurPlanet365. For decades, By the Sea Communications founder and CEO Gaby Adam, has been passionate about protecting our vibrant planet. The purpose of OurPlanet365 is to help companies of all sizes define and build their environmental sustainability platform. [ Read More ]
My Take on the Lip-Syncing Police Videos
The U.S. police videos with the men and women in uniform lip-syncing and dancing to famous songs, including this gem from the Seattle Police Department, are an awesome idea. Not only do they help the internal morale of these police stations, they help humanize the police in their communities. Suddenly, police forces across the nation are going from “one of them” to “one of us.” [ Read More ]
Macron and Trump Go Hand in Hand: the Photos
This is an interesting photo essay in Quartz on Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump and the various ways they shook hands and otherwise patted each other during Macron's recent visit. The body language of each, literally, trying to get the "upper hand" and be the "leader" is fascinating. I wonder if they get taught that in "Presidential Training." No disrespect intended, it is simply a great example of nuance in communication. [ Read More ]